Nigeria’s under-20 male national football team, the Flying Eagles, were on Saturday in Bissau forced to a 2-2 draw by their Guinea Bissau counterparts.

The draw was in the first leg of a 2019 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations first round qualifying fixture.

In a game of two halves, the Flying Eagles dominated the opening period and led 2-0 before the interval, after a brace by Wasiu Alalade in the 15th and 35th minutes.

However, the hosts returned to the contest in the second half super-charged, rendering the fixture delicately-poised ahead of the return leg in Nigeria in a week’s time.

Speaking later, the team’s Head Coach Paul Aigbogun blamed his players for losing concentration in the second half.

But he expressed confidence that the seven-time African champions would do the job in the second leg in Calabar.

Both teams will clash again at the U.J. Esuene Stadium on May 19, with the winners on aggregate proceeding to the second round of the qualifiers.

The winners will face either of Guinea and Mauritania.